1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coke oven batteries generally and, more particularly, to apparatus for cleaning standpipes or ascension pipes of the coke oven chambers of a coke oven battery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The usual coke oven chamber is equipped with one or two ascension or standpipes that carry away the volatile products liberated from coal that is being coked in each respective coke oven chamber. The volatile products, in the form of gases, emerge from the oven chamber at one or both ends thereof, and flow upwardly, in the ascension or standpipes, and thence into one or both collecting mains that run along the top sides of the coke oven battery.
In flowing upwardly in an ascension pipe or standpipe into the collecting main the gases traverse a gooseneck-type of elbow and change direction of flow. Because the ascension or standpipe is above the top of the coke oven chamber, the walls of the ascension or standpipe, even though they are refractory lined, are cooler than the gases emerging from the oven chamber. Thus, some condensate matter is deposited on the refractory lining of the ascension or standpipe. In time, the deposited matter becomes excessive, and it is necessary to remove the encrusted matter. Such deposited matter is carbonaceous in character and, unless removed, may in time plug the ascension pipe.
Heretofore, mechanical scraping means has been used to remove such encrusted matter from the ascension or standpipe. Such encrusted material is usually in the form of heavy and hard deposits of carbon that may become particularly thick and difficult to remove, particularly in the vicinity of the top of the ascension or standpipe, where the gooseneck elbow is joined to it.
Presently, the removal of the deposited material from the interior of the ascension or standpipe is performed manually by an operator using a long tool that chips away the encrusted material. Such manual work is time consuming, arduous and dangerous work, because the temperature in the neighborhood of the ascension or standpipe, particularly at the opening in the gooseneck elbow, is usually in the range of 500.degree.-800.degree. C.
Several types of mechanical scraper devices have been proposed, and are known from the prior art, that clean the gooseneck elbow and the downward sloping pipe portion leading gases into the collecting main. A typical scraper device is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,514. Another device, shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,977, employs a blast of air to remove the encrusted matter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,514 describes a first ram, from which a piston rod extends, that carries a circular cleaning head. The ram is pivotable from an almost upright, inoperative position to a downward-sloping operative position by means of a fluid actuated second ram. In the operative position, the first ram advances the rod and a circular cleaning head into the elbow and the downward-sloping pipe portion. The cleaning head is then reciprocated in the pipe portion and elbow to effectively remove any carbon or other deposited matter on the inner wall of the elbow and pipe.
After the cleaning head has been reciprocated several times, to remove the carbon or other depository matter, the first ram retracts the cleaning head and the second ram pivots the cleaning head upward to the inoperative position.
It should be noted that the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,514 does not clean the vertical ascension or standpipe, nor does it use water sprays to remove carbon or other depository matter like the present invention to be described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,977 includes a telescopic rod, mounted on a support positioned above an ascension pipe of a coke oven battery, which is arranged to move longitudinally along the top of the coke oven battery. The telescopic rod supports a cleaning tool at one end that can be inserted and reciprocated and rotated in the ascension pipe. The means for rotating the cleaning tool is a gear and pinion combination. A blower is provided on a platform alongside the telescopic rod and it supplies air to the cleaning tool which has a plurality of radial perforations in it.
In contrast to the mechanical scraper-type of cleaner shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,514, the present invention describes and claims a cleaning apparatus that uses high pressure water sprays; the water being carried in a flexible hose which is supported by a flexible chain cooperating with pivotable sprockets on a movable carriage.
Also, in contrast to the pneumatic cleaning tool of U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,977, the present invention describes and claims a high pressure water jet cleaning tool and pivotable supporting structure for a flexible hose carrying such water to the reciprocable spray nozzles.